Idenity Theft Can Happen To Anyone

PatWell-Known Member

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As more and more people today are concerned about their information online more ways to keep your information secure needs to be put in place. We need to monitor our medical information as well as our credit information from theft.

Stores are losing their database of information as well as employees stealing personal information.

TheoWell-Known Member

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People can hack into places and discover too much information through various means. I try to keep a social profile separate from work based ones. I do use fake information too or old information, so it's harder to trace if it happens.

The best way is to limit any stored information online and have privacy settings everywhere and log out of accounts all the time.

Dora MWell-Known Member

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It's quite simple for me. I keep my personal details to myself wherever possible. And even when prompted to provide them, I will only give away the bare minimum information. I have often been amazed at how much certain parties can do with even the minutest personal information. I've never stated my true personal data on the internet. I don't do internet banking or any other kind of online transactions where my ID is required. It's difficult but (still) possible.

sidneyWell-Known Member

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I have Zone Alarm, Key Scrambler and Spy Shelter installed in my pc, and they are very effective to combat a keylogger if you have one in your pc. And thanks to Spy Shelter, I found out that Google Chrome is capturing my keystrokes so that they can improve their drop down menu search options. How clever but intrusive, Google. And the other VPN that I use takes screenshots too of my visited webpages. Apart from that, no other spying programs here on my pc, so I highly advise everyone to install those 3 programs.

SunflogunActive Member

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I feel that to be safe we need to know where to click. A click in the wrong place can bring us virus, phishing or other unpleasant situations. So nothing like being very careful in the pages we visit and have a good anti-virus, ESET Nod32 seems a really good one.

radziActive Member

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It sure can happen to anyone. I would recommend to never even use your real identity when it comes to untrusted websites. I would always use an unreal identity on websites that I don't trust in order to be anonymous and protect myself from identity theft. I would of course, use my real information when it comes to banking and buying from real websites that are well known and trusted, but never even buy stuff from websites that are not known.

SunflogunActive Member

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I had once my Facebook account hacked, but fortunately their support service managed to solve the issue. Also another friend got a duplicated account in Facebook that caused him a lot of problems, so we never know when we will be safe online and we should be very careful with the information we make available.

PunkinPieMember

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You can usually add Identity Theft coverage to your homeowners insurance for around $25 annually. It doesn't pay if you have money stolen from accounts, but it does pay for time and legal council if you have to get help to clear your name of identity theft. If someone opens a credit card in your name that is a serious problem and sometimes can take months or even years to clear up. Here is hoping you never have any of this happen, but to be on the safe side you can add that coverage just in case.

radziActive Member

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Sunflogun said:

I had once my Facebook account hacked, but fortunately their support service managed to solve the issue. Also another friend got a duplicated account in Facebook that caused him a lot of problems, so we never know when we will be safe online and we should be very careful with the information we make available.

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I'm a person who doesn't have Facebook and is loving life without it. In fact, I didn't have any social media account in years and it's been really comfortable without it because my mind is at peace and no information about me can be known, I'm anonymous on the internet.

Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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PunkinPie said:

You can usually add Identity Theft coverage to your homeowners insurance for around $25 annually. It doesn't pay if you have money stolen from accounts, but it does pay for time and legal council if you have to get help to clear your name of identity theft. If someone opens a credit card in your name that is a serious problem and sometimes can take months or even years to clear up. Here is hoping you never have any of this happen, but to be on the safe side you can add that coverage just in case.

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I had my identity stolen back in the 90s, when banks were sending out pre-approval letters willy nilly, and sent one to me at an old address. It wasn't even put in the actual mailbox, they were often strewn around the common mailbox area, and so were very easy for people to gather up, as they passed by. I was living in a different state at the time, and I was fortunate that someone at the credit card company, was paying attention, and knew what to look for. This was back when all the Nigerian scams were happening, and the woman didn't know how to get in touch with me, so called the emergency number on file associated with my credit report, which happened to be my parents' home. My Dad called me in a panic, and I got him calmed down, then spoke to the woman. Because of her suspicions, they only approved the 'cardholder' for $200. What made her question the application was that she said she knew I was American, and the handwriting looked African. I had no idea handwriting of Africans would look different from that of American-born people, so that was an eyeopener for me, and I was glad she was so observant. It was a big pain to deal with, including contacting the IRS and SSA, as well as all 3 credit bureaus, and thankfully, it hasn't happened since.

radziActive Member

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Diane Lane said:

I had my identity stolen back in the 90s, when banks were sending out pre-approval letters willy nilly, and sent one to me at an old address. It wasn't even put in the actual mailbox, they were often strewn around the common mailbox area, and so were very easy for people to gather up, as they passed by. I was living in a different state at the time, and I was fortunate that someone at the credit card company, was paying attention, and knew what to look for. This was back when all the Nigerian scams were happening, and the woman didn't know how to get in touch with me, so called the emergency number on file associated with my credit report, which happened to be my parents' home. My Dad called me in a panic, and I got him calmed down, then spoke to the woman. Because of her suspicions, they only approved the 'cardholder' for $200. What made her question the application was that she said she knew I was American, and the handwriting looked African. I had no idea handwriting of Africans would look different from that of American-born people, so that was an eyeopener for me, and I was glad she was so observant. It was a big pain to deal with, including contacting the IRS and SSA, as well as all 3 credit bureaus, and thankfully, it hasn't happened since.

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Wow, that's really something to be careful of. I'm glad you were fortunate in that situation at least.

Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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radzi said:

Wow, that's really something to be careful of. I'm glad you were fortunate in that situation at least.

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Thanks, it could have been much worse. I know some people really go through hell. It was just a pain to me. Also, I forgot to mention, since it involved U.S. Mail, the USPS Postal Inspectors did an investigation.

JannnnjanActive Member

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It does worry me that if you have an online presence you are more susceptible to having your identity stolen. But what about cell/ mobile phones? You hear of phones being hacked and information extracted from them. A lot of my friends have apps that tell them their bank balance etc. I would worry about the security with these apps so I haven't got them.

radziActive Member

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Diane Lane said:

Thanks, it could have been much worse. I know some people really go through hell. It was just a pain to me. Also, I forgot to mention, since it involved U.S. Mail, the USPS Postal Inspectors did an investigation.

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Wow. You know for the very reasno of identity theft, I always prevent myself from creating any social media account and interacting with others online other than forums, I like to be on the safe side always when it comes to anything. The places I shop at online also are most known, so I'm safe in that regard.

LushlalaWell-Known Member

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Identity theft/fraud destroys lives. I'm just glad that I have so far never been targeted, but a few attempts have been made on my husband. Luckily we were able to avert them, with the help of his bank. We always shred all our documents, and avoid clicking on anything we don't recognise, among other safety measures.

DreekLassWell-Known Member

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This is why I was, at first, reluctant to try survey websites. Firstly, they get all of your information, and then they don't pay you if they do not have too, often screening you out of the survey after they have collected your information.

I have installed a number of recommended banking applications, because I do do some banking online, as well as offline. I don't have many friends or people over to my house either, because you truly cannot trust anybody. I always try to make sure that there are no viruses on my computer too, because then all of my details could be stolen. Not just my identity.

SunflogunActive Member

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radzi said:

I'm a person who doesn't have Facebook and is loving life without it. In fact, I didn't have any social media account in years and it's been really comfortable without it because my mind is at peace and no information about me can be known, I'm anonymous on the internet.

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I do have a Facebook account, but I don't pay much attention to it. It even gets me a little nervous to see all those people sharing the details about their lives online, I mean, it seems that's more important what we post there and not what we really live.

PunkinPieMember

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radzi said:

I'm a person who doesn't have Facebook and is loving life without it. In fact, I didn't have any social media account in years and it's been really comfortable without it because my mind is at peace and no information about me can be known, I'm anonymous on the internet.

Click to expand...

I have thrown around the idea of removing myself from social media. But just recently I started going through all the pictures I have posted and I am really glad that I do have the memories. I am not very good at keeping good track of pictures. I don't scrapbook. I hardly ever print off a picture to put in a memory book. Facebook has been a good tool for me to keep the memories alive. I don't have a ton of unnecessary friends, and the people I am friends with on social media are only people I would want to share things with. That's the only reason I haven't given up my Facebook. Good for you for doing so though. I know that it can take over some peoples lives.

Diane LaneWell-Known Member

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PunkinPie said:

I have thrown around the idea of removing myself from social media. But just recently I started going through all the pictures I have posted and I am really glad that I do have the memories. I am not very good at keeping good track of pictures. I don't scrapbook. I hardly ever print off a picture to put in a memory book. Facebook has been a good tool for me to keep the memories alive. I don't have a ton of unnecessary friends, and the people I am friends with on social media are only people I would want to share things with. That's the only reason I haven't given up my Facebook. Good for you for doing so though. I know that it can take over some peoples lives.

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That's the same for me. I have an old Facebook account with my actual picture, name, all the background details, and lots of pictures, but my stalker has access to anything I post on that account via people on my friends list, so I have let it go dormant. I created a new one, under a different name, and people currently in my life, and a select few from my past, are on there. I know none of them would divulge anything I post, but I still limit what I post on there, and the account is private. I've learned to keep most details to myself and a few close confidantes, and most personal issues are kept to real life in person discussions or phone calls.

radziActive Member

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Sunflogun said:

I do have a Facebook account, but I don't pay much attention to it. It even gets me a little nervous to see all those people sharing the details about their lives online, I mean, it seems that's more important what we post there and not what we really live.

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I completely agree and I do find it annoying because I've seen it before when I was young and have had Facebook, people just posting nonsense and posting about their lives when it doesn't really matter. Also people sharing 600+ photos, like, why? what for?

PunkinPie said:

I have thrown around the idea of removing myself from social media. But just recently I started going through all the pictures I have posted and I am really glad that I do have the memories. I am not very good at keeping good track of pictures. I don't scrapbook. I hardly ever print off a picture to put in a memory book. Facebook has been a good tool for me to keep the memories alive. I don't have a ton of unnecessary friends, and the people I am friends with on social media are only people I would want to share things with. That's the only reason I haven't given up my Facebook. Good for you for doing so though. I know that it can take over some peoples lives.

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While you might say it's a good idea to save photos, I personally do it by just saving it on a memory stick, harddrive and a specific laptop which contains all of my documents. Much better than uploading it on some server, somewhere.